Portrait

Lensbaby Portrait – Mike

 Black and White, Lensbaby, People Photography, Photography Technique, Portrait, Sony α900  2 Responses »
Feb 262010
 

Mike. Shot with a Lensbaby Composer and a Lensbaby Superwide attachment at a focal length of 21mm at f2.8. Image exposed ISO 100 for 1/4 of a second.

Todays post is a Lensbaby portrait of Mike, one of my friends and work cohorts. Mike’s an IT guru who happened to stop by to take care of my computer after it decided to head south for the winter. As the computer diagnostics churned away Mike let me shoot a few images with the Lensbaby. This was shot in my office which is quite cluttered and the Lensbaby was the perfect lens to help simplify the background. The Lensbaby is a selective focus lens that uses a series of drop in apertures. The wider the aperture, in this case an f2.8 the more “out of focus” the background. The  lens’ design creates beautiful transitions from in-focus to out-of -focus. This image was shot with a Lensbaby Composer and a Lensbaby Superwide attachment which converts the lens to a 21mm equivalent. The camera was set to Manual Mode with a +0.5 exposure compensation.

The classic lighting set up was very simple. To the right side of the image is a large window which provided my big, soft, main light source. Fill light was provided by a white wall to the left of the image. The RAW file was processed in Lightroom with final work done in Photoshop. The bookcase behind Mike was full of color but very chaotic so the image was converted to black and white in Photoshop to simplify the tonal values.

I want to thank Mike for allowing me to photograph him. And thanks to everyone for stopping by today.

Bob

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Wes

 People Photography, Photography Technique, Portrait, Sony α900  4 Responses »
Feb 152010
 

Wes. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens. Image exposed at ISO 640 at f3.5 for 1/2 of a second.

Todays image is a candid portrait shot of my new friend Wes whom I met at The Mindful Eye’s Washington DC Inspirational Weekend Photography Workshop held February 13-14. This shot is really just a lead in to some general thoughts and ideas that all photographers need to remember. The workshop was lead by my friend Craig Tanner from The Mindful Eye and it really helped to center some of my thoughts about my own work and once again pointed out some of the fears that I face as a photographer. Namely photographing people. It is of course an irrational fear, as all fear of the unknown turns out to be. I am treading into these waters now.

I jotted down a list of concepts that Craig presented that all of us as photographers need to remember and incorporate into our thought processes. So here we go.

1. Take Your Camera. We can’t shoot pictures and we can’t practice our skills if we don’t have our camera.

2. Don’t Hesitate to Shoot. Ok, we have listened to Concept 1 and have our camera with us. Now shoot, shoot, and shoot.

3. Get Closer. As photographers we tend to engage from a distance. Which really means we are not engaged. Move in and get close to your subject. Change angles, perspectives, backgrounds.

4. Make the Technical Automatic. This is tough for many of us. You must know your camera and its controls like the back of your hand. When events or conditions change you must be able to respond so that your camera is a willing tool in your hand and not an albatross that limits you. Today’s cameras have many controls that are just a push button away right on the camera body. Things like white balance control, auto focus lock, depth of field preview, and exposure compensation all can be controlled without thumbing through the camera menus. Know where these controls are located and become adept at manipulating them on the fly.

5. Pick a Lens and Stick to It. We all like equipment. But do you need it. Your equipment can actually hinder your ability to shoot. Keep your life simple. Practice shooting with only one lens for a while. Pick a favorite fixed lens or zoom and stick with it. Cut loose the stuff you don’t need. Your back and pocket book will thank you and your focus will be on shooting and capturing the moment.

6. Create Projects. This is really about exploring your personal journey and getting you out to shoot. Create a project for yourself. You don’t have to tell anyone what it is. Use the project to work on elements in your work or focus on your fears. Use the project to engage in practice.

7. Pick One Subject. Use your projects to focus on a singular subject matter that you need to work on.

8. Share Your Work. When you share people will respond and you will get feedback. The feedback helps you focus on issues and becomes part of your practice. When you share you are also teaching. By talking about how you did something you enable others to learn. And when others learn you get better. It is a beautiful circle.

9. Journal. Write things down. Recording your ideas and thoughts allows you to engage the process through mental processes. Additional when you write you are better apt to retain the information.

So lets go back to Wes. During dinner the first night I took my camera with me. I did not hesitate to shoot. I moved in closer. I had a single lens with me. No flash, just working with the available light. I choose to shoot people since this is something I want to work on. I shot quite a few images of Wes that evening but this is one of my favorites. I worked to simplify the background and I explored shooting hand held and just being in the moment of Wes’s infectious spirit and laughter. The image for me is dynamic. I like the slight motion blur created by the slow shutter. I got in close and I shot from more of a side angle. And now I am sharing the experience and the image. It is not a perfect photograph. I would have liked a little better focus. But I like the angle and the light. And I do think I captured Wes spirit. And so I will take this experience and go on.

I would encourage you to take some or all of these concepts with you the next time you shoot. But don’t forget your camera. To find out more about The Mindful Eye workshops visit the link above or click on The Mindful Eye link in the Links section of this site.

Thanks for being part of the journey.

Bob

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Hawaiian Hula

 Flash Photography, Hawaii, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Portrait, Sony α900, Street Portrait  No Responses »
Jan 262010
 

Image 1: Hawaiian Hula, Waikiki. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 70-300mm at 300mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f5.6 for 1/60 second. Flash set to TTL and High Speed Sync.

Image 2: Hawaiian Hula, Waikiki. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 70-300mm at 300mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f5.6 for 1/60 second. Flash set to TTL and High Speed Sync.

While on my nightly walks through Waikiki I ran across a hula company performing along the beach. I stayed to watch and shot a few images.

Since I arrived late I could not get a front row position to shoot and unfortunately ended up standing behind the musicians. In a case like this you have to look for opportunities and deal with the hand you were dealt. I found a gap between the musicians and waited for the dancer to move into position.

Having the longer lens here was a plus. I wanted to freeze the motion as much as possible so I set the flash to TTL and High Speed Sync so I could play with the shutter speed a bit. I put the lens at the lowest aperture to blur the background.

The images were shot RAW and processed in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.

Thanks for stopping by.

Bob

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Tommy

 Hawaii, Portrait, Street Portrait  No Responses »
Jan 252010
 

Image 1: Tommy weaving a palm frond bowl. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 70mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f4.5 for 1/750 of a second. Flash was set for TTL and High Speed Sync.

Image 2: Tommy in Waikiki. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 70mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f2.8 for 1/550 of a second. Flash was set for TTL and High Speed Sync.

Image 3: Intricate bouquet of flowers woven by Tommy. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 70-300mm lens at 200mm. Images exposed at ISO 100 at f6.7 for 1/30 of a second. Flash was set to TTL Fill Light Mode.

I met Tommy on the streets of Waikiki. He is a soft spoken man who weaves inticate and beautiful bowls, hats flowers, and other whimsical creations using palm fronds.

He has been training with a master weaver for only a year but his work has a level of craftsman ship that belies this short time. Using only a small pocket knife Tommy strips the leaves from the stems, folding and weaving them together into a final piece of art. No glue. Everything is held together by the weave or special knots in the stems.

If you are in Waikiki you can find Tommy in his usual spot down near the Marriott.

Mahalo from Waikiki, Bob

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Chris Sebo

 Hawaii, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Portrait, Street Portrait  No Responses »
Jan 252010
 

Chris Sebo, artist. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 70-300mm lens at 70mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f5.6 for 1/2 second. Flash exposure set to Rear Sync.

Chris Sebo laying down a run of paint on a new work of art. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 70-300mm lens at 70mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f5.6 for 1/2 second. Flash was set for Rear Sync.

This is artist Chris Sebo at work on the streets of Waikiki. An amazing artist, Chris creates his paintings using ordinary spray paint. I had the opportunity to spend a little time watching Chris and he graciously allowed me to shoot a few images.

He works incredibly fast, blending his colors across the canvas using cardboard, crumpled newspaper, bottle caps and brushes to create paintings that are other-worldly.

To capture the dynamic way he paints I used a flash unit set to TTL Mode and Rear Sync. The combination of Rear Sync with a 1/2 second exposure allowed me to capture the motion.

To see Chris’s art go to www.seboart.com

Mahalo, Bob

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Maggie Clark

 Animals, Pets, Portrait  No Responses »
Jan 082010
 

Maggie Clark in patient repose. Shot with a Nikon D300 and a Nikkor 12-24mm lens at 18mm. Scene lit with two Nikon SB-800 flash units triggered with a Flash Commander.

Maggie Clark. Always patient, attentive, caring, and loving. A life lesson for all of us. She loved her family, ear rubs, and sleeping in bed. Born in April, 1996, she passed away this summer from complications with her nervous system. She is greatly missed.

In this image she is patiently putting up with me while I test out my SB-800 flash units.

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Lane in Antelope Canyon

 Antelope Canyon, Photoshop Technique, Portrait, Slot Canyon  No Responses »
Dec 202009
 

Lane Bigthumb soothing the savage photographer in Upper Antelope Canyon, Arizona.

Well the winter storm has subsided and we are left to dig out of 18+ inches of snow. Its late and I’m still up so I thought I would post a portrait from Antelope Canyon. My model is Lane Bigthumb, my Navajo guide and son of Carol Bigthumb. Carol has been my guide for all my trips to Antelope Canyon. Carol ‘s family has the grazing rights to the land where Upper Antelope Canyon, Rattlesnake Canyon, and Mountain Sheep Canyon are located. You can get information on her trips at Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours, or contact her at cbigthumb@yahoo.com. You can see more of my Antelope Canyon images on my website at Robert H. Clark Photography.

The shot was made just inside in the main gallery of Upper Antelope. I was shooting a formation when Lane started to play. Though fairly subdued there was some very nice light on Lane and I liked the way he was framed. So I quickly turned the camera on him and used my headlamp to throw a little light on his face. In case you are wondering, out of respect for Lane and the spirit of the canyon, I did ask permission to photograph him. So as the sound of the flute echoed through the canyon I shot several images. Motion was a problem however and the image is a little soft but I like it nonetheless.

Shot with a Sony a900 with a Zeiss 24-70mm lens, set to 35mm and f4 at 3 seconds. The RAW image was processed in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. In order to improve the contrast I used an inverse overlay with a Guassian Blur set to 40.0 pixels. This is in effect a contrast mask and it helped open up the shadows. There are a few basic curves for Lane and the background and a slight saturation adjustment.

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